Time switch



April 8, 1953 F. o. HORSTMANN ETAL 2,636,559

TIME SWITCH Filed June 12, 1950 2 SHEETSSHEET l m nwz/vraes FEEOE/P/CA0. /aesmm mv P M/11.0 B. J/aesT/nfl/wv A ril 28, 1953 F. G. HORSTMANNETAL 2,636,559

TIME SWITCH Filed June 12, 1950 2 SHEETS$HEET 2 //v I/EJYT'OESFezose/o'r O, floksz/mq/v/v Eon 41.0 6, Holes mum/v Patented Apr. 28,1953 TIME SWITCH Frederick Otto Horstmann and Ronald Blessley Horstmann,Bath, England Application June 12, 1950, Serial No. 167,659 In GreatBritain June 17, 1949 2 Claims.

1 This invention relates to time switches or controllers of the typecomprising a dial-plate which is adapted to be rotated by a clockwork orother driving mechanism so that it rotates once in a given period(usually twenty-four hours), and which carries a number of levers ortappets adapted to operate a switching mechanism or a closely precedingtappet.

While not confined to such an application the invention is of particularuse with time switches or controllers of the type previously describedthat have automatic mechanism for adjusting the levers or tappets, theautomatic adjusting mechanism being carried by the dial plate and beingactuated by a cam or projection which advances the mechanism each timethe dial plate rotates. An example of a mechanism of this type isdescribed and claimed in the specification of British Patent No. 395,813(Horstmann and others). In such an application the invention comprisesan improved time switch which is provided with a number of levers ortappets adapted to be adjusted automatically and also with a number ofadditional levers or tappets adapted to be adjusted by hand. Such anarrangement is required for example for the control of street lampswhich have to be lighted and extinguished approximately at dusk and dawnrespectively and which are also required to be switched off and on atpredetermined times during the night.

Broadly stated, the invention consists in providing a time switch of thetype referred to with a plurality of dial plates adapted to be mountedon a common driving spindle and arranged to control separate switchingor valve devices which, in the case of electric switches, may beconnected in series with one another in the same lighting circuit orcircuits.

One or more of the plurality of the dial plates may be provided withautomatically adjusted mechanism for varying the adjustment of thetappets or levers thereof such as disclosed in our 2 aforesaid priorBritish specification No. 395,813, and one or more provided with anumber of tappets or levers adapted to be adjusted by hand. By providinga separate dial plate for the manually adjustable levers or tappets(which may be used for example for switching off street lamps atpredetermined times during the night) the danger of interference betweenthe automatically adjusted levers or tappets and the manually adjustedlevers or tappets is avoided.

Alternatively, all the dial plates may be provided with automaticallyadjusting mechanism, or again all the dial plates may carry manuallyadjustable tappets or levers.

The invention will be fully understood from the following more detaileddescription by way of example of one embodiment of the invention,reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of a complete time switch;

Figure 2 is an end view of the same with the lid of the main casingopen; and

Figure 3 is similar to Figure l but partly in section on the line IIIIIIof Figure 2.

The drawings illustrate a construction in which only two dial plates areused, one being of the automatically adjusting type and one of themanually adjusting type.

In this embodiment, the time switch comprises a cylindrical casing I inthe bottom of which is mounted a clockwork or other driving mechanism(not shown) carrying a driving shaft 2 (Figure 3) which projects axiallywithin the casing and which is adapted to rotate once in every 24 hours.

The driving shaft is adapted to carry two dial plates 3 and 4 disposedone behind the other within the casing and each adapted to control aswitch mechanism contained in a casing I 0 which is fixed to the side ofthe casing l on the outside thereof. The switch mechanisms haveoperating levers 5 (Figure 3) which are arranged to project into thecasing I through holes 6 in the wall of the casing so that they can beactuated by the tappets or levers of the dial plates. Each switchingmechanism may conveniently be constructed as described in thespecification of British Patent No. 373,554 (Horstmann and others).

The casing I can be provided with a lid l which can be opened to allowthe dial plates to be inserted into the casing or removed theretfrom,and for time-setting and routine inspec- The inner dial plate 3 isprovided with auto matic adjusting mechanism which may conveniently beconstructed as described in the aforesaid British specification No.395,813 and which is adapted to co-operate with a fixed projectionprovided in the casing for advancing it each time the driving shaftrotates, such a construction being known and forming no part of thepresent invention. This dial is provided with a driving slot or like 8adapted to c-ooperate with a driving pin or projection 9 on the drivingshaft.

The outer dial plate t is provided with any desired number of tappets orprojections which are manually adjustable. It is adapted to slip on tothe driving shaft 2 above the lower dial plate 3, and is provided with adriving recess or like ll adapted to co-operate with a drivin lug orprojection l2 on the inner dial plate so that it-will rotate with theinner dial plate.

A removable cap [3, for instance a, thumb nut, may be adapted to bescrewed or otherwise secured to the upper end of the driving shaft 2 forthe purpose of securing the two dial plates 3 and t in position.

The removable cap it enables the outer dial plate 4 to be readilyremoved by simply lifting it out of the casing l for the purpose ofsetting the mechanism of the inner dial plate 3 to a desired startingposition or date. The outer dial plate 4 'may then be replaced andsecured in position by means of the removable cap i3 and its levers ortappets may be adjusted as desired by hand.

The inner dial plate 3 may be adapted as is well known to close a switchfor switching on a lamp or lamps at dusk and to open the switch forswitching off the lamp or lamps at dawn, the automatic adjustingmechanism being arranged to 'set the levers ortappets of this dial plateauto- "matically-in conformity with the change in time of dusk and dawnthrough the year. The outer dial "plated may be arranged to control aswitch connected in series with the first switch arranged to switch offthe lamp or lamps at a predetermined time during the night and to switchthem on-again at a predetermined time before dawn.

The levers or tappets of the outer dial 4 may beset to switch onandswitch off at any times "required without risk of interference with thetappets on the inner dial 3.

The switches used (which are contained in the "casings i) may be two-wayor change-over switches and the apparatus may thus be adapted to controlswitching operations of a complex na- 'ture.

Itwill be appreciated that the aforesaid improved arrangementintroducing the plurality of commonly driven dial plates can be usedequally well for time-controlling the flow of gas, water -orotherfluidas well as of electric current, and

that the control of lighting circuits is but one of a variety ofapplications, others being timers for industrial processes in general.The expression switching means as used in the claims hereof thereforeincludes both electric switches for controlling electric currents andvalve devices for controlling fluid flow.

What We claim is:

l. A time switch of the type described including a time-controlleddriving spindle rotatable once in a given period, a dial plate on saidspindle, a switching means adjacent said dial plate, a plurality ofadjustable tappets on said dial plate for actuating said switching meansat predetermined intervals, automatic adjusting mechanism on said dialplate for varying the adjustment of said tappets, at least oneadditional dial plate mounted on said spindle, an additional switchingmeans adjacent each said additional dial plate, and a plurality ofmanually adjustable tappets on each said additional dial plate foractuating said additional switching means at desiredintervals, saidfirst-"mentioned and each additional switching means being connected inseries relationship with one another.

2. A time switch of the type described comprising a time-controlleddriving spindle rotatable once in a given period, a casing surroundingsaid drivin spindle, two individually removable dial plates mounted onebehind the other'on said spindle within said casing, an opening at oneend of said casing permittinginsertion and withdrawal of said dialplates, two switching means mounted externally of said casingandeachcorresponding to one of said dial plates, and ,a plurality ofadjustable dial tappets on each of said dial plates, each of saidswitching means including lever means projecting into said casing andinto the path of the tappets on the corresponding dial plate, saidtappetsbeingeffectiveforactuating said lever means for operating saidswitching means at predetermined intervals, said ,two switching meansbeing'connect'ed in series-relationship with one another.

FREDERICKOTTO HORSTMANN. RONALD BLESSLEY HORSTMANN.

References Cited in thefile of thispatent UNITED STATESPATENTS NumberName Date 864,048 Tropp Aug. 20,190? 1,360,948 Hendry Nov.30, -'1'9201,740,405 Kearsley -Dec. 17, 1929 1,966,959 Fisher "July 17,-19342,119,187 Teeper May 31,1938 2,209,108 Briggs gduly 23,-1-940

